This invention relates to security systems for containers having doors, and has particular application to apparatus and methods for securing roll-down and/or swing-open doors for cargo trailers.
Containers, such as cargo containers, trailers, delivery vans, storage facilities, and cargo trailers, are often constructed with a door that is accessible from the exterior of the container. For example, sometimes a cargo container has a roll-down door. These roll-down doors often have a latching mechanism on the outside of the door that can be opened easily without a key. Other cargo containers often have a pair of swing-out doors. Such swing-out doors also have latches on the outside of the doors that can be easily opened without a key. The latches on both types of doors are often designed to be lockable using a padlock-type lock.
However, the padlocks used with either type of door can be easily defeated by thieves. For example, some padlocks can be pried open using a screwdriver or pry bar as a lever. Other padlocks can be cut by using bolt cutters or a hacksaw. In any event, an accessible padlock is often not very secure.
Other security systems have been designed for one, or the other, of these two types of doors. While it may be possible to use a similar lock on both types of doors, often a lock designed for one type of door cannot be used on the other type of door. In other cases, such lock would require substantial modification to be used on the other type of door. Often, the designs of such systems are relatively bulky and they extend into the cargo area creating an unusable zone of space. An example of such security systems for either roll-down doors or swing-out doors are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,576. While such security systems are adequate for some uses, they are not designed to be easily interchangeable for use in both roll-down doors and swing-out doors.
A need exists for a security system that can be used for both roll-down doors and swing-out doors, such as one including a lock with a multi-directional latch. A need also exists for a security system that stores an information record, such as a record concerning the unlocking and/or opening of the door, such as the date, time and/or geographical location of such unlocking and/or such opening. Furthermore, a need exists for a lock for a container having one or more doors that allows the door to be slammed closed and locked when the lock's latch is in a locked position prior to the door being slammed closed. A need further exists for a lock for a container that can be selectively programmed to enable a subset of available features, such as an automatic locking feature.